Kneeling attachment for portable chairs



June 1, 1965 s. D. LOCKSHIN 3,186,764

KNEELING ATTACHMENT FOR PORTABLE CHAIRS Filed May 15, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

SAMUEL D. LOCKSHIN BY QM @14 ATTORNEY.

June 1, 1965 s. o. LOCKSHIN KNEELING ATTACHMENT FOR PORTABLE CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15. 1964 FIG.5.

FIG.6.

INVENTOR.

SAMUEL D. LOCKSHIN FIG.6A.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent "ice 3,186,764 KNEELKN G ATTACHNEENT FOR PORTABLE CH A, :I a

The present invention relates to chairs and particularly to a kneeler accessory adapted for attachment to foldable or portable type chairs.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel form of kneeler attachment having a parallelogram type linkage construction, wherein the kneeler assembly is removably clamped to thetrear legs of a chair, or optionally permanently affixed thereto, and which may be tilted from a substantially horizontal use position to a collapsed substantially upright position in parallel registry with and adjacent the rear legs of the chair.

Other objects of the invention are: to provide a kneeler adapted for attachment to chairs of the folding or portable type used in places of worship, the kneeler being intended for use by the occupant of a chair disposed rearwardly of the chair to which the kneeler is attached and to provide such a kneeler which may be optionally releasably affixed or permanently affixed to the rear legs of a chair and to provide such a kneeler which, when attached to a chair, may be easily moved into and out of a lowered or use position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of releasable clamp assembly by which the kneeler may be easily attached to and/or disengaged from the chair legs when no longer needed, without in any way modifying the operation of the chair or the chair structure, and all without the use of special tools or the requirement for special skills by the user.

These and other objects will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and claim read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective View of a folding chair having the kneeler attachment of the invention attached to the rear legs thereof, the kneeler attachment being shown in a lowered or unfolded position ready for use;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the chair and kneeler attachment of FIG. 1, both being shown in a folded or non-use position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the chair and kneeler attachment of FIG. 1, both being shown in a lowered or unfolded position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged rear elevational View of the rear legs of a chair with the kneeler attachment in a folded or non-use position;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary rear plan view of the clamp lock means of the kneeler attachment of the invention in locked association with a chair leg;

FIG. 6A is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the clamp lock means in unlocked position; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the clamp lock means of FIG. 6, with certain parts omitted for purposes of clarity.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I have shown for purposes of illustration a conventional type folding chair having a U-shaped front frame It) which defines a pair of spaced parallel front legs 12 and which includes, at its upper end, a backrest 14. The chair further comprises a pair of spaced parallel inwardly inclined rear legs 16, a seat 18 pivotally mounted to the front and rear legs, and links 20 at either side of the chair interconnecting the respective adjacent front and rear legs.

3,185,754 Patented dune 1, 1965 A crossbar 22 extends between rear legs 16 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The kneeler attachment of the invention is generally indicated by 30 and is adapted for attachment to any chair having rear legs, such as rear legs 16, and is releasably fixed thereto by clamp lock means generally indicated by 32, best seen in FIGS. 6-7.

The clamp lock means are secured to each of the said rear legs 16 and provide a means for connecting the kneeler attachment to the rear legs of the chair in such a fashion that it may be easily attached thereto or removed therefrom. Alternatively, the kneeler attachment may be permanently affixed to the rear legs, as will appear.

The clamp locks 32 are identical to each other and each includes a clamp portion 34 having an arcuate body portion 36 adapted to encircle partially a respective leg 16, a bracket portion 38 extending outwardly from one side of said body portion, and a locking flange 49 extending outwardly from the other side of said body portion, and being substantially axially aligned with said bracket portion.

A locking bar 42 of generally channel shape is pivoted to the rear surface of bracket portion 38 by means of a pivot pin 44 extending through a slot 46 provided centrally of the locking bar and passing through an appropriately aligned opening in said bracket portion.

Locking bar 42 is provided at one of its ends with an outwardly-extending bar or flange 48, the inner surface of which is adapted to bear against the outer edge of locking flange 40 of clamp portion 34 in the closed or locked position of the device.

As clearly seen in FIG. 6A, the outer edge of locking flange All is appropriately contoured to provide upper and lower cam surfaces 49 and 49' respectively, and

upper and lower locking shoulders 50 and 50' respectively disposed therebetween. By such novel configuration, the clamp lock means 32 may be cast or otherwise fabricated without regard to whether the clamp lock means will be employed on the left hand side of the kneeler or on the right hand side thereof.

Locking bar 42, being adjnstably and pivotally mounted for 360 rotation upon pin 44, may be swung in a clockwise direction to bring bar 48 into initial contact with cam surface 49. Following this initial-contact, further rotation in the same direction causes the ear to ride along the cam surface 49 until it comes into contact with the appropriate locking shoulder 56, at which time further rotation in that direction is precluded, and the locking bar 42 is locked relative to clamp portion 34-.

Rotation in the opposite direction (i.e. upwardly away from locking shoulder 50) unlocks the locking bar from the locking flange 40 of clamp portion 34.

Locking bar 42 is movable between a generally horizontal or locked position, in which it extends transversely across one of the legs 16, and a generally vertical or unlocked position, in which it extends in parallel relation to one of the legs 16.

Bracket portions 38, 38 serve as a mounting area for pivotally connecting kneeler attachment 30 to clamp lock means 32, 32.

Kneeler attachment 30 generally comprises a kneeler pad 60 fixed at its opposite ends to pairs of angle support brackets 62, and a generally U-shaped support link 64 having spaced parallel arms 66, 66 pivoted at their upper ends at 68 to upper pivot links 72, 72, provided at each end of pad 60, and interconnected at their lower ends by a horizontally-extending cross bar 76.

The outermost ends of upper pivot links 72, 72 are connected by a horizontally-extending cross bar 72 which serves as a support for the brackets 62 and kneeler pad 69.

As will appear, support link 64 is movable between a down position, in which the cross bar 7 0 thereof is adapted 3 to rest on the floor or other supporting surface directly below the longitudinal central axis of kneeler pad 60, and an up position, in which the cross bar 70 is generally parallel to the plane'of the kneeler pad- A pair of lower pivot links 74 are provided at each side of the kneeler attachment and extend between kneeler,

pad 60 and clamp lock means 32 in spaced substantially parallel relation to'upper pivot links 72. In the following description of pivot links 72 and 74, while each will be means 32, and is pivoted at 82 at its opposite outermost or forward end to an arm 66 of support link 64.

In the folded or non-use position of the kneeler attachment, the pivot links 72 and 74, kneeler pad 60 and support link 70 are all disposed in substantially aligned relationship to each other and to the legs 16.

To move the kneeler attachmentto the unfolded or use position, the kneeler pad is swung downwardly, whereupon lower pivot link causes support link 64 to swing outwardly to'a support position below the kneeler pad.

To return the kneeler attachment to the folded or nonuse position from the use position, the kneeler pad is swung upwardly, whereupon lower'pivot link causes support link 64 to swing inwardly to a folded position parallel to the kneeler pad.

The kneeler attaclnnent may be attached to legs 16 by swinging locking bar 42 of each clamp lock means 32 to a substantially vertical position, as shown in phantom in FIG. 6, whereupon arcuate body portion 36 of the clamp lock means may be moved into partially encircling engagement with its respective leg 16. Locking bar 42 is now rotated in a clockwise direction to move it into a generally horizontal position behind the chair leg, with ear 48 of the locking bar tightly engaged with the locking shoulder 50 of locking flange 40.

To remove the kneeler attachment from the chair legs, such defined procedure is reversed.

' Means are provided for permanently afiixing the kneeler attachment to the chair legs, should such be desired.

Bracket portion 38 and locking bar 42 are provided with openings 90 and 92 respectively, these openings being aligned when the locking bar is in a horizontal or locking position, wherefore a bolt or rivet, not shown, may be passed therethrough to fix the locking bar against rotative movement relative to the bracket portion.

The kneeler attachment hereof is easily and readily attached to a chair, and is readily and easily swung between its folded and unfolded positions. The chair may be used in the normal manner irrespective .of the position of the kneeler.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the form of the kneeler attachment, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired to claim and secure the following by Letters Patent of the United States.

I claim:

A kneeler attachment for a chair having a pair of spaced rear legs, the kneeler attachment comprising, a

kneeler pad, a support means for said kneeler pad, a pair of pivot links extending outwardly from opposite sides of said kneeler pad and pivoted at one end to .said support means, and connecting means on the opposite ends of said pivot links for releasably connecting the kneeler attachment to the rear legs of the chair, said connecting means comprising, a clamp portion pivotally connected to the outer ends of said pivot links, said clamp portion having an arcuate body portion adapted to partially encircle achair leg and a bracket portion and a cam lock portion 8 extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said body portion, said bracket portion and said cam lock portion being substantially axially aligned as to each other and extending outwardly on either side of the chair leg, and a locking bar pivoted at one end to said bracket portion so as to be disposed rearwardly of the chair rear leg and having a locking flange at its opposite end having an innermost inwardly-facing surface adapted for engagement with said cam lock portion, said cam lock portion comprising an outwardly-facing outermost cam surface and an outwardly-facing outermost locking shoulder, said locking bar being movable relative to said clamp portion to move the inwardly-facing surface of the locking flange into engagement with first said cam surface and then said locking shoulder for releasably securing said connecting means to the chair legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,725 2/33 Hamilton .J. 248-226 2,739,748 3/56 Hoover 248-226 2,843,189 7/58 Lockshin 297-426 2,873,937 2/59 Oldenburg 248-11 3,005,614 10/61 Daniell 248-230 3,026,144 3/62 Clarin 297-425 3,107,943 10/63 King 297-426 3,138,260 6/64 Tedrick 248-221 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

